SIMULATION AND MONITORING OF IOT-BASED NETWORKS USING LIGHTWEIGHT PROTOCOLS AND SENSOR

The rapid expansion of the Internet of Things (IoT) has created a strong demand for efficient, scalable, and secure communication frameworks capable of supporting large numbers of heterogeneous devices. This project focuses on the simulation and monitoring of IoT-based networks using lightweight communication protocols specifically MQTT and CoAP and multiple sensor nodes within a controlled virtual environment. Cisco Packet Tracer was employed as the primary simulation tool to design and evaluate the performance of an IoT network comprising temperature sensors, humidity sensors, and smart actuators integrated through a centralized IoT server. The study involved configuring and testing key components such as wireless connectivity, DHCP services, MQTT broker functionality, and real-time dashboard monitoring. Simulation results show that lightweight protocols significantly improve network efficiency by reducing overhead, latency, and energy consumption compared to traditional HTTP communication. MQTT demonstrated the highest reliability and stability for continuous telemetry, while CoAP provided superior responsiveness in constrained environments. The project further highlights the importance of routing configuration, device management, and real-time monitoring in ensuring optimal IoT system performance. Overall, the project provides a practical framework for designing and analysing IoT networks before realworld deployment, illustrating how simulation tools such as Cisco Packet Tracer can support educational, research, and prototyping activities. The findings reinforce the value of lightweight protocols in modern IoT operations and serve as a foundation for future work in scalability testing, enhanced security integration, and cross-platform IoT interoperability.